


Déjà vu

by Shiny22Snivy



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: (and making komaru very uncomfortable), Attempt at humour, Gen, How Do I Tag, Komaeda Nagito Being Komaeda Nagito, Post-Canon, i am but a foolish komaru kinnie and i will subject you all to my bullshit, i cant fucking write dialogue, i love komaeda but i also want to beat him with a shoe, im awful at keeping track of the dr timeline so if anything sounds off im SORRY
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:33:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24665428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shiny22Snivy/pseuds/Shiny22Snivy
Summary: How exactly do you talk to someone who isn't aware that you've met before?-aka, komaru can't sleep and runs into a familiar, but not-so-welcome face.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 39





	Déjà vu

How exactly do you talk to someone who isn't aware that you've met before?

This particular question had been whirling around Komaru's head for some time now. When Makoto had relayed the news that a boatful of surviving ex-students were soon arriving to aid in the reconstruction of Hope's Peak, she couldn't help but feel excited; a whole new batch of weirdos to get to know and to help with rebuilding their lives here, and of course they were bound to be weirdos - Ultimates usually gave off that effect. Despite Toko's weary grumbling pleas in their limited downtime for rest and recuperation after their misadventures in Towa City, Komaru couldn't help but bounce off the walls of their temporary shared room like a ping-pong ball.

The more the merrier, right?

Well, "merry" wouldn't exactly be the word that Komaru would use to describe her mood when she found herself staring down someone she could still see in her nightmares.

When she began seeing the first few students on the off-chance around the school, some working, some talking, she hadn't been phased. A petite young woman with wildly dyed hair styled into horns and seemingly no inside voice? Standard stuff. A pale, stern-faced man that kept a horde of hamsters in his scarf and spoke exclusively in riddles? Not surprising in the slightest. A veritable goliath of a man with a booming laugh who Komaru could swear had electricity crackling at the corners of his eyes whenever he got excited? Just another day at the office.

The same tall, bony, white-haired individual with the creepy laugh that couldn't seem to decide whether to help or torment her as she tried to escape the clutches of a sadistic game created by a mentally deranged elementary schooler? Not so much.

Komaru had tried to avoid him at first. Not on purpose, of course, but whenever he would come into the room with a placid smile and perhaps a polite apology, Komaru would suddenly remember that she was needed elsewhere. However, it had been only a matter of time before she had to face her fears.

"...Is it just too hot, or did I manage to mess up hot chocolate?"

And it looked like Komaru's time had run out.

"Oh. Uh, yeah, it's fine, it's just a little hot." Dratted insomnia. The only reason Komaru was even here was because she couldn't sleep, and decided a midnight walk would be able to solve her problems. She tore her gaze away from the dark, swirling liquid in her mug to look at the man sitting across from her - his disheveled off-white locks a little more groomed and looking only slightly less like he'd just crawled out of a dumpster behind Hot Topic, but the same person nonetheless. How was she supposed to know that _he_ had trouble sleeping too?

"That's good." He let out a wheezy chuckle. It made Komaru feel ill. "Glad to know I'm not quite that incompetent."

"The powder stuff had instructions on it, anyway." Komaru mumbled into her cup. "It'd be hard to mess that up."

"You'd be surprised." He shifted in his seat, propping himself up on the table with both elbows. Komaru couldn't help staring at his left hand; whatever had once been clad in that filthy striped mitten had been replaced by a shiny monochrome prosthetic. It whirred slightly whenever he moved it. "Oh, forgive me. I don't think I ever caught your name."

She hesitated for a long moment. "...It's Komaru."

Something she didn't quite like the look of lit up in the man's eyes. "Komaru... Komaru Naegi?" He whispered, almost conspiratorially.

Oh boy, here we go. It was something Komaru had had to get used to - she had begun to make a habit of omitting her surname from conversation whenever possible, but it would always inevitably come up. It didn't bother her unduly, and of course it wasn't that she didn't _care_ about her brother, but sometimes she wished people would see her as just 'Komaru' instead of 'the Ultimate Hope's sister.' And something about the way this particular student's eyes shone as he almost imperceptibly leaned forward in his chair gave her the feeling that he wasn't going to just let that fact slide.

"Yeah, that's me. Makoto's my brother."

"I figured." His expression was now one less of politeness and more one of rapt attention. "The last time me and him spoke properly was... a few years ago, actually." He gave another breathy laugh. "I was so excited, I knocked Mikan clean off the cliff as I went past!"

"So I've heard." Komaru tried to bring her focus back to the slight froth floating on the top of her drink.

"It's quite an honour to have a conversation with someone so close to... someone like him." The look in his eyes took on a dreamy, reverential quality. "Although, I hear that you yourself have accomplished some impressive feats as well."

Komaru suddenly wished the dining room floor would just open up and swallow her whole. The only thing that stopped her from getting up and leaving as fast as her legs would carry her was the one thing that she told herself over and over in her mind, like a mantra.

_He doesn't remember what happened._

Trying to delay her reply as much as possible, Komaru took a long sip from her mug. The sweet, milky liquid burned her tongue, but even that was better than having to continue conversation with this walking, talking equivalent to her recurring sleep paralysis demon. Trying and failing to swallow down the lump in her throat alongside the chocolate, she fumbled for a suitable response.

"Um. Yeah. I guess."

"I don't mean to probe, of course, you don't need to spill your whole life story to me, but..." The ex-student cocked his head, face still plastered with that ever-unperturbed smile. "...I do love a good underdog story."

Komaru felt her heart sink down to her socks. She knew where this was going.

"The Ultimate Hope's little sister, a perfectly ordinary little highschool girl... facing so many trials and tribulations, defying all odds and coming out on top - how wonderfully inspiring!" he leaned back in his chair with a contented sigh. "Overcoming the despair within yourself, so you can conquer the despair outside... and, therein, inspire hope in people like you. Regular people, not like the Ultimates. It's incredible what one little girl can do, right?"

Komaru could swear that those pale grey eyes, once seeming washed-out and mild, were now drilling holes in her skull.

"Of course, i know at least approximately the story of you and Toko's escapades in Towa City, but it would be nice to hear it from you."

Komaru opened her mouth to respond. Then she closed it again. Then she opened it again.

"I... Um... I'd rather not talk about it. Right now."

The man's face fell. "Oh. Well, that's unfortunate. But it's not like I can force you to tell me, or anything." He looked so disappointed that Komaru almost felt sorry for him. Almost. "Still a fresh wound, huh? Perhaps I'll wait another few years."

There was a long, meandering silence.

Komaru tightened her grip on her cup, trying to warm her clammy hands. Did he really just want to talk about what happened in Towa City? She wouldn't be surprised. You wouldn't know from the look of him, but this guy was smart. Frighteningly so. It wasn't entirely off the table that he was just subtly trying to figure out what happened while he was brainwashed.

"Well, I suppose I should be going now."

Komaru's conversation partner stood up with an abruptness that made her jump, spilling a little chocolate onto the table. "Sorry if I came off as rude or strange," He murmured apologetically. "I've been told I give off that effect sometimes."

 _Yes, you're very strange,_ said Komaru inwardly. _You're weird, you tried to turn my best friend against me, you terrify the hell out of me, and I wish you weren't here_.

But aloud, she said "...Wait, hold on just a second. You never told me your name."

He was halfway to the door before he turned around. In the dim light, he looked even odder; like a pale, gangling wisp in the darkness, flickering insubstantially in the harsh electric light from the kitchen at the back.

"Don't feel pressured to remember it, but... Nagito. Nagito Komaeda. Don't stay up too long, alright?"

And with a final soft, hoarse laugh, he vanished down the hallway.

Needless to say, Komaru wasn't going to forget that name for a very long time.

**Author's Note:**

> i have a bunch of other little danganronpa oneshots like this but im too much of a pussy to post them anywhere other than wattpad, oops. you might see em here if i ever get my shit together, but dont hold your breath


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